Page 65 of Like Home
She leans back from the hug to look at me, her eyes wet, “I really am happy about Ryan. I can tell you like him, and I think he really likes you.”
“You think so?” I ask.
She nods and says, “He looks at you the way Flynn Ryder looks at Rapunzel at the end of the movie.” She shrugs and I can see that’s about all it takes for her. “And I love Daddy, but he never looked at you like that.” I laugh because she’s probably right. I don’t think Jared has looked at me like that in a long time.
“Well, it must be because I’m a princess,” I say, swiping her plastic tiara off her dresser and perching it on my head.
She giggles and says, “Come on, I want pizza.” She takes me by the hand and tugs me out of the room.
Ryan sees the tiara on my head when we enter the kitchen and he raises a brow at me, mouthing “I like it,” over Emma’s head. “Your majesties,” he says with a haughty British accent, bowing low and grabbing my hand to place a kiss on the back of it. Emma laughs at his antics and curtsies before skipping to the pizza awaiting her on the table. We spend the next hour gorging ourselves, laughing, and chatting. I watch as Ryan makes his crust dance a jig and then bow to Emma’s utter delight.
I sit back and feel a pleasant tingle run down my spine as it sinks in: This is my real life. I look from my laughing, pizza-sauced daughter to the man who feels like I tore him from the pages of a book and feel a deep sense of peace. Of home.
Epilogue
Iusher an eight-year-old Emma with her overnight bag out the door and wave to Georgia, Vivian’s mom who is parked in my driveway. Emma tosses her bag in the minivan and dives in after it, squealing with her friend. They are so thrilled to have their first sleepover.
It’s a milestone that makes me miss my mom. She always wanted to be the sleepover house, so she went above and beyond to make them fun with my friends. We would rent movies, make a giant pillow nest in front of the TV to lounge on, and have as many snacks as our hearts desired. She would have face masks and nail polish at the ready. She knew the perfect blend of hanging out with us to guide the way and give us space to have fun. If she were here, she would have insisted Emma do it at home so she could orchestrate some elaborate ordeal to celebrate her first.
I shake away the bittersweet thought as I’m reminded that Ryan and I will have the night to ourselves. We’ll finally get to watch the newest Marvel movie, which is finally up on streaming services. Jared and his new girlfriend, Clarissa, said it was really good when they went to see it in the theater a few weeks ago. They recently started dating, and seeing movies has sort of been theirthing. I’m happy about it because I always get a review afterward. I really like Rissa and I hope they last.
I walk back inside and heave a large sigh. “You good?” Ryan asks from his position on the couch next to our puppy, Honey. Even if I don’t voice what’s happening in my head, he can always guess at my feelings. He has a built-in Summer-sensor.
“I’m fine. Excited for her, and a little nervous too. I just hope she doesn’t get scared tonight.” I plop on the couch and cuddle into his other side. I reach across his lap to give Honey a scratch behind her ear.
“If she does, she’ll call and we can pick her up,” he says reassuringly. I nod and tuck in closer, not able to get enough contact even after almost two years with the man.
“Hey, do you mind grabbing the snacks while I pull up the movie? I got you a few different options at the store because I didn’t know what you’d be feeling tonight. I know we’re celebrating your birthday tomorrow with everyone else, but I wanted to spoil you a little tonight, too,” He says, kissing me on the temple. I smile because of course he would want to spoil me multiple days in a row.
This man.
“Sure,” I say, standing to head into the kitchen. I cross the threshold and see a grocery bag on the counter stuffed with all manner of sweet and salty treats. I paw through the bag to see what he bought. He calls my name and it sounds like it’s coming from directly behind me. I turn in confusion, “Y—,” I start to say, but stop when I see him on one knee behind me, Honey wagging her tail excitedly in the background. I sag against the kitchen counter and clutch my hands to my chest.
He’s holding up a ring box and the diamond in the center catches the light. “In the years before I met you, I was constantly searching for my place in this life. I just wanted to belong and feel like I was moving toward something meaningful. I had a gut feeling that I might find that here. The firsttime I saw you, I knew that I had to get to know you. Of course, I thought you were beautiful, but you had a magnetism that drew me in. Then, when I saw you cradling that giant dog in the pitch black and the pouring rain, I knew I was in trouble because I fell hard for you right away. At the time, I figured it wasn’t rational, but now I know. I know that we were meant to find each other. I know that all the hard things that led us here were meant to happen so we could be strong enough to fight for us. I know that I love you with everything I have and everything I am. I know that to be with you is to be home. So, Summer Renee Evans, will you marry me and make an honest man out of me?”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up through the tears. He moved in with us months ago, and he’s constantly made jokes about me stealing his virtue. I reach a hand out so I can pull him to standing. I look up at this man who will be my husband soon and say, “Yes, absolutely. I love you so much. I never thought I would find someone like you. I never thought I deserved someone like you. But you’ve helped me see that we deserve each other and all the good things. I am so happy that I get to find little moments of joy with you for the rest of my life.”
He places a gentle hand under my chin, tilting it up so our lips can meet. The promise in this kiss is so tangible, I can taste it. He pulls away when Honey rears back on hind legs to join our embrace, takes the ring out of the box, and slides it on the ring finger of my left hand. We both laugh when Honey pads away, seeming to understand we don’t have any treats for her just yet.
He doesn’t let go of my hand, and instead tilts it this way and that so the overhead lighting catches on the oval center stone, glittering off the diamonds along the band. We admire it together for a second, heads angled down, basking in the rightness of this moment. He lifts my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to my knuckles. I gently free my hands to wipe the tears that formed along my lashes. I look up to see that he has tears in his eyes,turning them a verdant green. I reach to swipe them away too. “Why are you crying?” I ask thickly.
“I’m just so happy. I can’t believe I get to call you my wife soon,” he says with a grin.
I appraise him teasingly. “How soon are we talking?”
“Tomorrow if possible,” he holds up a staying hand when he sees my protest brewing. “But since I know that won’t happen, how about as soon as we can reasonably get it together? I think Em would kill me if I took away her opportunity to be the flower girl.”
“Did she know what you were planning?” I ask incredulously.
“Oh yeah. Who do you think helped me ferret a ring out of your jewelry stash so I could get it sized? She knew the exact costume ring that fits on your ring finger.” I laugh exasperatedly and he chuckles, “I know. She knows she isn’t supposed to go through your things, but I figured this was an exception,” He lifts my hand meaningfully, eyeing the beautiful ring.
“I can’t even care right now. I’m ridiculously, stupidly happy,” I say. I pull him down to me for another long kiss that leaves us both breathless. I break away first and say, “Come on, fiancé, let's go watch that movie. I really do want to see it.”
“Fiancé, huh? I like the sound of that.” He grabs the oversized snack bag and leads me back to the living room. Honey curls up on the rug in front of the couch. My heart is still racing when we pull up the movie.
As the opening credits roll, I can’t help but look at him and admire the anticipation on his face. I clasp our hands together, expecting the new ring to feel a little odd as I adjust to its presence. I look down, watching the diamond twinkle, and know why it doesn’t seem strange at all. It already nestles into my finger like it’s right where it's meant to be. I smile up at Ryan. I know the feeling. I cuddle in closer, resting my head on his shoulder, and we watch as a new story unfolds in front of us.
